N.Y. judge sues city for pressuring her to fine businesses

A New York City administrative law judge has a bone to pick with the Big Apple.

Judge Michele Mirro, who has been a judge in the city’s consumer affairs department since 1990, is suing the department for pressuring her to impose maximum fines against businesses in cases in which she didn’t think they deserved such hefty fines.

In a complaint filed yesterday, Mirro claims department officials routinely pressured her and other judges to levy large fines against businesses accused of code violations. She claims that since 2008, officials have disallowed judges to issue decisions without supervisory approval. In one instance, she says, she was forced to change her decision from not guilty to guilty and fine a business $20,000.

Mirro claims that department officials retaliated against her after she complained about the department’s practices.